So happy finally UberTwitter is back! Well, it's UberSocial now. It's like a synonyms: two different words but have the same meaning. Haahh.... Let's say... The cybertown is saved, thanks to UberSocial... And not to forget Seesmic and SocialScope for their temporary services.

I hope other weird stuffs can be back at their places like it used to be. What I'm saying is the tax regulation for imported movies. We got no other movies, except cheesy and lame local films. Can you imagine? It felt like you live in darkness, in a cave, or in a trashbin---feel in disgust, uncomfort, stressing heat and blinding darkness.

Too over? Too serious? Don't blame me! I got it from the government. As a young teen, I learn from what I see, and that the government related to this issue are TOO OVER silly and FULL OF DRAMA. They're foolishly overreacting, like we're going to have another uneducating local TV Show.

Some departments in the government seems like seeking attention from the people with this issue or they're trying to help other department to cover some problems they're having and make it disappeared from media's catch. Nice strategy, huh? I'm too critical to say 'yes' on everything. Too bad for them. Next time, make sure you vote for the right people for the legislative and the president as well. Why? Coz they're the main casts of never-ending TV show we're going to watch for those next freaky years.

If a film or TV show is part of media that actually re-constructs the reality around us, that means we would like to be brainwashed into a life condition as how it was in 1960s in less dynamic technology updates and Saudi-like social life. The government now realizes the power of media that can't be denied. We're the fish in an aquarium and we don't even realize that actually we breathe in the water. Media is the air. It's everywhere. When it's gone, you're lost.

I see that the government doesn't trying to destroy it, but to control it to work as they want it to be. So, you can see how many tycoon-turning-into-politicians spend much of their money to build up a communication business, like Online News and TV Station. They'd leave us choice to see the world of how they want it to be. Then, what would we become? Their robots, who keep saying, "Hail Plankton!", just like what you see in SpongeBob Squarepants the movie. But they almost forgot back a year ago where the internet has emerged the citizen journalism.

Just a week or two weeks ago, the IT minister finally said that Twitter is actually a dangerous thing. Well, I bet the intelligence have worked on it. You know what I mean. This IT minister is the only one from his political ride to reach the current president's cabinet for a minister hot seat. I bet he's trying to be on top of everyone by this kind of situation. Psychological pressure. Indeed, you might have seen so many things 'unusual' from this minister through his tweets, especially on his scene, in one frame with Mrs. Michelle Obama. It hit the headline almost everywhere. He succeeded to make a real account of fame.

After the cinemas would only have low class movies, we got this another 'punch drunk politic' show on the house of representative. Their fear and worry become what move us. Within the scene, they think they can control us once again. This time, with their command of so-called Media Control. They will ban any media which tell that this country is dark and messy for International acknowledgement.

Their fear is my command... I bet they will ban this post soon. I will wait for the next thing those officials can do while I'm eating my fave traditional food, called Sate Padang. Happy meal, everyone!

Once I've finished this spicy food, I bet the things in the country hasn't changed for good, even until I wipe my sweat off.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I used a piece of carton paper and cover it with of 1cm wide glossy patterned paper. The most important is... I plaited them. Two colours, red and blue flower patterned, for the background and pink and purple for the flowers. The technic reminded me of my childhood stuffs. We used to learn how to plait in grade school. Then on the HELLO tag, I put a small flower. I remember how to make it when I was 10-11 years old, in scout. We make that kind of flower with our scout tie. Now, I can make it with plenty colourful ribbon.

For the HELLO, I simply cut a paper and wrote it down myself, hand-written, with a copic marker. That’s why it looks so bad. Too nervous and trembling when I'm brushing the copic marker onto the paper.

I would like to share this simple card to PaperPlay Challenge in "Add Shine" theme week. See you there...

Monday, February 21, 2011

Finally this is the very first week of my school holiday! Even though, my work is still running. Beh… Yeap! True… this is another sorrowful life of a student, a teacher and a journo at the same time.

I remember last year’s Valentine’s Day was good. I was in love with someone and yet I celebrated with my students. That time, I was two-month-old employee. I ordered some special chocos for my students and staffs from a friend of mine who happened to be a homemade choco entrepreneur, Dyana.

This year, I haven’t celebrated it. So, maybe in the first week of March. Sooo late… I know.

Now, I’m going to show you my card for V-day. It isn’t saying clearly about V-day or asking someone to be a valentine, well at least, the word and the shape have spoken more than enough.

The card is made from very simple materials. No card-stock. I used a carton paper and I covered it with special paper with butterfly hologram on it. I thought it’s cute and lovely. I made a heart shape with purple beads I often played with when I was a child. Hehehe… And the purple beads kinda have 2 different colours on each side. I mean, those two sides are purple, but one side is lighter and the other one.

The LOVE letters. I made it myself with the same paper for the background and coloured it with pink copic markers (R83) and grey one (T6) for the borders. Below, I put some pink sticker of cloud shape.

To be honest, I’m quite relieved it’s done, but somehow I’m kinda disappointed, too. Doesn’t look like what I expect: less-expressive and lack of creativity. Don’t you think?

Saturday, February 19, 2011

This morning (well actually I planned to write yesterday night) I'm writing this at the dawn, listening to John Mayer's album 'Battle Studies'. The 3 first songs recharge my mood after the whole hectic situation in my country. Yes! Another thing has claimed as HARAM (or stupid), what is it? UberTwitter!

Before UberTwitter has been suspended, I heard that the foreign movies (Hollywood, European, and Asian) are not going to screen in Indonesian cinemas. Why? The government has raised the tax, so MPA has decided not to deliver movies to this f*cing stupid, uncivilized, country. We're soooo going to be like in the Saudi. Women, get your burqa soon and we're going to be HARAM! Ugh...

Anyway, with this Dilmah Tea on my table, I feel like writing so here I am writing what has been through lately. Yesterday, after all the mess on school stuff, the 5th semester's exams are over. Whew... It's been tough! And I have the results of my International Examination, too. For my CSv, I got First Class Pass Distinction, yay! Before, I didn't get that result for my EBC. Only PASS. That's ok, anyway.

I wanna tell you that I was not so healthy. I got a couple times of hard-breathing probs and slept only 1-3 hours a day in a week! Err... Yes, working is still going for me, too. So lack of post, that's why.

I haven't improved anything on my bedroom look. My mom and I are still looking for some materials and decor for my bedroom. The very important thing is to upgrade the cupboard. I will post the pic once it's done.

Oh, Book Drum Tournament 2011! I join it again and I will go with Sultana, a book by Jean Sasson. I will post the review and what I think personally regarding what I have read in this blog. Wish me luck! The prize is so tempting to me and I want is so bad. If you wanna know more about the competition, you can check Book Drum's website.

As I didn't have the book, I ordered it at Kinokuniya. Yes, this is the second time I ordered a book. Whoaa.. it felt like they're granted my wish! Thank's so much Kinokuniya Jakarta! And I bought two other books. For my surprise I found another book by J.D. Salinger, "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters", and old lit book, "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, published by Penguin Classic with a beautiful cover.

Now, I'm going to try some challenges for card-making. It's so fun and interesting. That would be a great encouragement for me to keep on design card with scrapbook style. So loving it! Guys, try it too sometimes. You would like to play with the rubber stamp... hehehe

I bought some card-stock and patterned paper. Some ideas have been popped in my head and I'm ready to make it real on those papers with a pack of rub-ons I just bought and two more ink for my cute rubber stamps.

I will post some new posts for Photoblog, and my critics to what's happening lately to my country, and many other stuff. Feeling so creative and excited in this dawn. The multitasking mood is back free....

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Adapted movie from a book under the same title, the story tells about a new comer to middle school world, Greg Heffly and his journey to be the highest status student, written in his journal. Together with Rowley Jefferson, his naive and childish best friend from primary school, Greg figures out how to be like others and swim himself out of the surface. He thinks that he's better than anyone else, including Rowley. However, the more he tried to be winner of the social puzzle he's been through, the more he loses and realizes that his friendship with the annoying Rowley is all that matters for him.

The story is felt real alive to us. All the characters in the book/movie are the ones we might ever see in our life history. It brings up the mystery of growing up and finding the place you stand on during the hard pre-teenage years in a funny and entertaining way. It's a rare piece of art or life guide for the pre-teenage where the viewers are served with reality, comedy and shocking solutions and others would probably show the dark side and teary story of being a teenager. Seeing this young school fame-seekers gives us some explanations of what we have been becoming so far. The point of the story isn't deep and hard-to-get though.

For those who don't read the book or even to those who do and watch the movie, you'll surely enjoy the introduction transition from book to big screen. There are some short animated scenes which are freshly adapted just like in the book. The author of the book, Jeff Kinney, who also produced the film seems intentionally give the taste of art of the book to the movie. The reader of Diary of Wimpy Kid (the novel) would not be disappointed to see the movie version.

Adapted movie with neat graphic transitions and fit songs along certain scenes, and agreeable for all ages.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

It wasn't an apartment, although it got a spacious kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room and a balcony. Each part of the room got anything that it should be there and .... many dining tables and chairs. It's a resto! That's why they name it 'The Apartment'. Located in Kuningan, next to Australian Embassy, I'll tell you what I did there during my 4-hour eating.

After my partner in crime of the day and I visited that Taman Prasasti Museum with its collections of old graves surrounded with gothic angels, we had our lunch here.

View from their 'kitchen' A little bit of 'bathroom' outer far at the back.

Their 'bedroom'

To their 'balcony' taken from the 'dining room'

Wine! Bordering the 'kitchen' to the 'living room'

Ummm... let's cook them in the 'kitchen'

And we sat in their....

'Kitchen'!

In the zone they called 'The Kitchen', there are about 6 dining tables with different number of seats. Behind my table was a stove, toaster, some spices, and other cooking appliances. Beautiful kitchen set, and I wish I had one. (I'm sure, I will!) Speaking of the real kitchen, I don't know where it was. I saw couple times the waitress put some plates for some times at the counter of 'the kitchen' behind me to be taken to wash bin which I also didn't know where.

Before we decided to sit in 'the kitchen', we looked at the 'bathroom', but it was kinda full. But, I could tell you what I saw there in the 'bathroom'. There was a rack with rubber ducky toy with a soap (not the real one, of course) and a small towel as the decoration. It was surrounded with blue mosaic ceramic wall. Really looked like a 'bathroom'! Only the people in the 'bathroom' part weren't dressing off, they were having the meal! For the real bathroom, it was outside of the resto, but don't worry it's still inside the Gracia building. Anyway, maybe I should be back to eat some other menu at that part.

First, a few shots of our appetizer: Beef Nachos. The menu serves nachos with beef and avocado with cream. The taste: 4 of 5.

Lamb and Salmon got preyed!

It took a few minutes for us to finish that appetizer. Two of us. One big bowl of appetizers. And there was still a long way to go... Marcel ordered a biiiigg jumbo dumbo Lamb Shank and I ordered a simple Salmon Steak. I'm not a wild crazy eater, so I chose the safest choice I thought I could finish. One thing that Marcel told me was to calm down if it took too much for me to finish eating the whole stuff, he would do an expansion onto my food. In the end, he admitted he gave me a false fact! Ha!

There's nothing much I could tell you about that Lamb Shank. All I know it's lamb and served with mashed potatoes. My Salmon Steak was also served with mashed potatoes which was quite good, soft yet stuffy. The Salmon was lightly grilled, less oily and yummy. Chili sauce circled around the steak and the vegetables. It wasn't spicy at all as they brought up American taste. Marcel got gingernate and fresh kiwi juice for drinks, and I got Cammomile tea as I wasn't feeling so well that day and Lime Juice (but, sorry I forgot to take pics of them).

Marcel's Lamb Shank

Few shots of the Salmon on different angles =P

I took a shot of Marcel, and he did the same. Here's two of my faves of Marcel's pic of me... The first one was taken candid and the other one was taken by my will. I should be a model soon. Anyone, to be the photographer? Ahh, ok I'm just kidding. I'm not good-looking, or even camera-face.

Friday, February 11, 2011

I remember that day I was sick, but I intended to come as I had an unpostponable deal with my old friend, Marcel. Not only that, it was also gonna be my first photo hunting ever. Oh wait, this was the second. First, I unintentionally went to Monas with a few college friends last year or last two years. So this year, I planned 2 weeks before with an old friend who just started to learn this addictive stuff =P

So, we went to Taman(=Park) Prasasti(=Epigraph) Museum firstly. It's located in Center Jakarta. I am not good at directions (women can't read maps, right?) and so, yeah Marcel drove the car, he got to find the way and don't worry coz he got the map! AND, he could read map. Thank God... What am I trying to tell you is...don't ask me how to get there exacty? I'm going crazy then!

When we arrived around 12pm there, it was raining! Jeez... The museum is mostly open space area. (Well, it's a park, isn't it?) Obviously, it was not a good chance. We got to wait for a few moment for the rain to stop and started exploring. The museum... or the park... as it was raining and anyone just stepped on the epigraphs became hard for me to seek the beauty. All you can find there is.... grave! Some vaudeville kids just broke through the side gate and got in. They walked around the park by stepping their feet on those graves. The ground got slippery soil coz of the rain. So wonder why those graves were even dirtier than ever.

Speaking of the graves.... yeap! The museum was actually a cemetery, established in 1795, in Dutch colonialization in Indonesia. It was opened for Dutch government officials and lords. Later, it was used for anyone who were Christians. So, there were many epigraphs which didn't have Dutch writings, but English, Chinese and Japanese. For the European taste of art in the museum, those graves are worth to visit.

But there was a point when I suddenly thought why I took pictures of people's graves? And before you leave, read my review of this place below these pictures (I will keep writing a little piece of review of anywhere I go hunting photos and some tips according to my experience during my observation and experience during the hunting on my blog) and see the next post as after visiting the museum, we tried Food Photography. My pics are much better for the food rather than these graves LOL xP

Enjoy the pics I took....

Partner in crime =P

REVIEW: This place has been used too many times for Indonesian amateur photographer. Somehow, this place and Kota Tua are becoming too common for their objects and views for your portfolio. You can google on some PhotoBlog somewhere else, you'll get bored! However, if you can take pics better in another angle, go for it. And if it's just the way it is, just visit and have fun. Forget that it can be your portfolio. The place is too simple for you who want to get something different.

TIPS: 1. As I have told you above that it's outdoor arena, make sure you wear some kind of sport shows which don't get slipped when it's slippery. Just in case it rains.2. Bring tissues (wet and dry ones) it's outdoor, anything dirty can come!3. Bring like plastic bag or paper bag to keep anything dirty and you just can't throw it away.4. Bring unused newspaper for some possibilities. Like in my experience, we got to spend our times by cleaning our dirty shoes of wet soil before we got in the car. The newspaper can cover the base of your car if you come to difficulties to clean up your shoes.5. So, considering no. 4, bring another pair of shoes. Maybe, bring some clothes to change? It might help. It's outdoor, whether you got sweat, wet or anything.6. Wear long-sleeved cardigan, I got many mosquitoes bites there.7. Don't wear anything to thick, just in case, the day is so hot.8. Got something appropriate in your backpack. Don't until you got tired just because it's too heavy.